Dr Timothy Easun MSci, PhD, MRSC

School of Chemistry
Royal Society University Research Fellow
Associate Professor in Physical Chemistry

Contact details

Email: t.l.easun@bham.ac.uk
Twitter: @TimEasun

Address: School of Chemistry
Haworth Building
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Timothy Easun is a supramolecular coordination chemist, photochemist and spectroscopist with a background in porous metal-organic frameworks, time-resolved spectroscopies, ligand and metal-complex synthesis and photocrystallography.

His current Royal Society University Research Fellowship focus is on the control and understanding of molecular flow in nanostructured framework materials, the dynamic behaviours of stimuli-responsive frameworks, and their applications in water purification.

Qualifications

PhD in Supramolecular Photochemistry, University of Sheffield
MSci Chemistry, University of Nottingham

Biography

Dr Easun graduated with a MSci Chemistry degree from the University of Nottingham (with an ERASMUS semester at the Università degli Studi di Sassari, Italy) before going on to complete his PhD at the University of Sheffield under the supervision of Professor Mike Ward. He then held posts at the University of Nottingham as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (with Professor Mike George), an Inorganic Teaching Fellow, and finally as Senior Research Officer for Professor Martin Schröder. Dr Easun began his independent research group when he was appointed a Cardiff University Research Fellow in 2015, being awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship later in the same year.

In 2022, Dr Easun moved his research group to the University of Birmingham to take up an Associate Professorship in the School of Chemistry.

Research

Dr Easun's research targets the use of photochemistry to control molecular flow in microporous materials in order to make functional nanofluidic devices and water purification materials. This involves the functionalisation of crystalline porous materials, specifically using thermally and photochemically active components to control framework properties and direct guest uptake and release.

Publications

Selected publications

M. W. S. Chong, S. P. Argent, F. Moreau, W. J. F. Trenholme, C. G. Morris, W. Lewis, T. L. Easun* and M. Schröder*, A Coordination Network Featuring Two Distinct Copper(II) Coordination Environments for Highly Selective Acetylene Adsorption, Chem. Eur. J., 2022, 28, e202201188.

D. J. Cerasale, D. C. Ward, and T. L. Easun*, “MOFs in the time domain”, Nat. Rev. Chem., 2022, 6, 9-30.

A. Asghar, N. Iqbal, T. Noor, B. M. Kariuki, L. Kidwell and T. L. Easun*, “Efficient electrochemical synthesis of a manganese-based metal–organic framework for H₂ and CO₂ uptake”, Green Chem., 2021, 23, 1220-1227.

C. L. Jones, C. E. Hughes, H. H-.M. Yeung, A. Paul, K. D. M. Harris*, and T. L. Easun*, “Exploiting in-situ NMR to monitor the formation of a metal-organic framework”, Chem. Sci., 2021,12, 4, 1486-1494. This article was highlighted in Chemistry World.

W. J. F. Trenholme, D. I. Kolokolov*, M. Bound, S. P. Argent, J. A. Gould, J. Li, S. A. Barnett, A. J. Blake, A. G. Stepanov, E. Besley, T. L. Easun*, S. Yang*, and M. Schröder*, “Selective Gas Uptake and Rotational Dynamics in a (3,24)-Connected Metal–Organic Framework Material”, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2021, 143, 9, 3348-3358.

A. Asghar, N. Iqbal*, L. Aftab, T. Noor, B. M. Kariuki, L. Kidwell and T. L. Easun*, “Ethylenediamine loading into a manganese-based metal–organic framework enhances water stability and carbon dioxide uptake of the framework”, Royal Society Open Science, 2020, 7, 3, 191934.

T. Mitra, F. Moreau, A. Nevin, C. U. Perotto, A. Summerfield, E. S. Davies, E. A. Gibson, T. L. Easun* and M. Schröder*, “Characterisation of redox states of metal–organic frameworks by growth on modified thin-film electrodes”, Chem. Sci., 2018, 9, 6572-6579.

A. Nevin and T. L. Easun*, “Metal-Organic Frameworks: open metal sites, guest coordination, and catalysis”, In: N. J. Patmore, P. I. P. Elliott (eds.) SPR Organometallic Chemistry. RSC, 2018, 54-79.

View all publications in research portal